Arrangement for arresting a portable object to a stationary object by a cable

ABSTRACT

An arrangement for arresting a portable object, such as a desk computer, to a stationary object using a cable ( 40 ), one end of which is looped around the stationary object. The other end of the cable ( 40 ) is secured to a block-like cable-shoe body ( 44 ). An oblong circular cavity ( 46 ) is formed in the body ( 44 ) with an undercut portion ( 48 ) extending along about 180 degrees of one side thereof. Further provided is a lock member ( 10 ) having a ribbed attachment portion ( 24 ). The attachment portion ( 24 ) comprises a recess ( 26 ) defined between first and second ribs ( 28; 30 ) and is adapted to be inserted into the cavity ( 46 ) and shifted into engagement with the undercut portion ( 48 ), and then locked thereinside by push-in key operated device ( 50 ). Said lock member ( 10 ), with ribbed attachment portion ( 24 ) is affixed to a side wall of the portable object in various conventional manners.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to security devices. Morespecifically the invention concerns the safeguarding of desk computersagainst theft by tying the computer casing by a steel cable to a fixedobject, say around the nearest desk leg.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Using a steel cable as computer anti-theft means, in particular withregard to portable computers, is not new: see, e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos.5,327,752 and 6,244,082. The innovative efforts were mostly directed ashow to connect the cable to the computer casing without introducingmajor changes. As reflected by the above-mentioned patents, the solutionfound was to make use of a slot-shaped opening formed OEM at one of thecasing walls. For less expensive, sheet metal desk computers, theproblem has not yet been satisfactorily solved.

It is therefore the prime object of the invention to harness the sheetmetal desk computer casing to a cable via means already existing in theconventional construction of such computers.

It is a further object of the invention to convert the conventional doorlock of certain brand computers (IBM and others) into a universalattachment for a specially designed cable shoe.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a “universal”attachment and fitting cable-shoe, forming together useful andconvenient means for arresting any portable object, by the cable to astationary object.

SUMMERY OF THE INVENTION

Thus provided according to the invention is an arrangement for arrestinga portable object such as a desk computer against a stationary object bylooping around the stationary object one end of a cable, the other endthereof being provided with a key-operated locking device, thearrangement comprises: a block-like cable-shoe body; an oblong circularcavity formed in the body with an undercut portion extending along about180° of one side thereof; a ribbed attachment member, adapted to beinserted into the cavity and shifted into engagement with the undercutportion, and then locked thereinside by the key-operated device; and theportable object being provided with said ribbed attachment memberaffixed to a side wall thereof.

The cable-shoe and ribbed attachment member may be used for a variety ofapplications, such as in combination with hook locks, padlock ears,tongs locks, or as “stand-alone” devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other constructional features and advantages of the inventionwill be more clearly understood in light of the ensuing description of apreferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, withreference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:—

FIG. 1 is a general, perspective view of a computer door locking devicemodified according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cable with cable-shoe providedaccording to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the door lock of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the lock of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the lock of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cable-shoe of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the cable-shoe of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows in partial cross-section the door lock and the cable-shoein the mating, locked position;

FIG. 9 is another example of a computer lock;

FIG. 10 partly shows a pair of padlock lockable ears in certain modelsof desk computers for locking the casing thereof;

FIG. 11 shows the locking position of the lock of FIG. 9 against theears of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is still another embodiment of a computer security lock;

FIG. 13 illustrates the cable-shoe of the previous embodiments in anarresting position applied to the lock of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 illustrates the use of an attachment member and cable-shoeapplied to any kind of wall surface; and

FIG. 15 shows how the cable shoe is used for safeguarding, in addition,other equipment such as a “mouse” or keyboard.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Certain models of desk computer casings made of sheet metal with ahinged rear- or side-walls, are equipped with a most simple cylinderlock (often called “mail-box” locks). The following described embodimentof the invention is based on a substitute of this conventional, almostprimitive and easily tampered with, lock by a locking device of animproved design.

Hence, in FIG. 1 there is shown lock 10 which comprises a rotatablymounted hook member 12. The rotation of the hook member is effected by apush-in type lock 14 (see FIG. 3). The operator square pin 14 a of thelock 14 is passed through the hook member 12 and fastened by nut 16.

The lock 10 is mounted to wall 18 of the computer in the conventionalmanner, namely by using a springy, bifurcated clip 20 adapted to fitinto a pair of slits 22 a and 22 b. The major, unique part of the lock10 consists of a “universal” attachment portion generally denoted 24.This is the core of the present invention and common to all applicationsand embodiments; it may even be applied as a “stand-alone” article (seeFIG. 14).

The attachment portion 24 comprises a circular (in this example) recess26, defined between first and second shoulders or ribs 28 and 30 ofequal diameters. The roll of this double-rib structure will be readilyunderstood in view of the description below.

Turning to FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, there are shown steel cable 40 loopedaround an immovable object such as table leg 42. The other side of thecable 40 is connected to a cable-shoe generally denoted 44, and ispreferably freely rotatable thereinside. The cable-shoe is generallyblock-shaped. At its front side, an elongated circular cavity 46 isformed, delimited at its lower side by gradually increasing lip 48, ofthe same diameter (or actually radius) as that of the circular rib 28.Due to this configuration it is made possible to insert the rib 28 ofthe lock 10 (FIG. 1) head-on into the upper part of the cavity 46, andthen, by a short lifting movement of the cable-shoe, bringing it intoengagement with the lip 48, embracing the rib 28 along about 180°—seeFIG. 8. A push-in type lock 50 is seated in the cable-shoe body 44 sothat its projectable lock pin 50 a, when actuated, obstructs the upwardsmovement of the rib 28 and hence the disengagement of the computer lock10 from the cable-shoe 44.

It will be readily understood that, with regard to this embodiment, twogoals are achieved: the primitive conventional cylinder lock is replacedby a more sturdy and safe one, at no significant extra cost; and thecable-shoe is freely rotatable by 360° which enhances the convenience ofits use due to the inflexible nature of the cable. This, however, willnot be the case if the circular ribs 28 and 30—and consequently also theoutline of the cavity 46—be made non-circular (e.g. elliptical orsquarish).

The locking device 110 of FIG. 9 is designed to lock computers (or anyother article such as toolboxes) by a padlock inserted through a pair ofears 150 a and 150 b as schematically depicted in FIG. 10.

The lock 110 is generally a block-shaped body with a push-in lockingdevice 114 implanted so that the operator pin 114 a thereof is adaptedto project into a slot 152 configured to receive the ears 150 a, 150 b(FIG. 11).

To the back of the lock body 114 there is fastened, e.g. by bolt 154,(or made integral therewith) the universal attachment member 124 of thedesign already familiar from the previous embodiment.

The cable-shoe 144 is shown in phantom lines in FIG. 11, by which thelock body 110 is arrested by cable 140 to a stationary object (notshown). To this end, the ears 150 a and 150 b are inserted into the slot152 and the push-in lock 114 is operated so that its operator pin 114 abecomes inserted into the padlock openings.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13 use is made of a knownper-se device which is provided with a pair of pivotable tongs 252 a and252 b adapted to become spaced-apart by rotating a screw-threaded pin254. The tongs are insertable into a dedicated slot 256 formed in theportable computer wall 218 (as known in the art) and are then spread forlocking. Now, according to this embodiment of the invention, the bodycarrying the tongs mechanism is shaped as a universal attachment member224, namely fit to be engaged by cable-shoe 224 as in the previousembodiments.

FIG. 14 represents a most simple implementation of the invention. Theuniversal attachment member 324 is in this case mounted to wall 318 bygluing, e.g. using a double-sided, peal-off paste patch 360.

FIG. 15 illustrates the cable-shoe 444, modified in the sense that it isuseful to entrap and secure, say, “mouse” 462, besides andsimultaneously with arresting the computer proper. This is simplyattained by providing a slot 466 into which cable 464 of the mouse 462is placed before detaching the cable-shoe 444 to the side wall of thecomputer.

In summery, the arrangement proposed according to the invention offers asimple and low-cost solution to the ever-increasing stealing problem ofcomputers or other valuable portable objects.

Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will readilyappreciate that numerous changes, variations and modifications can beeffected without departing from the true spirit and scope of theinvention as defined in and by the appended claims.

1. An arrangement for arresting a portable object against a stationaryobject by looping around the stationary object one end of a cable andreleasably coupling the other end thereof to the portable object, thearrangement comprising: a block-shaped body to which said other end ofthe cable is affixed, the body having a planar side surface; an oblongcircular cavity formed in the planar side surface with an undercutportion extending along about 180° of one side thereof; an attachmentmember comprising a flanging circular rib configured to fit into saidcavity, said rib being of a width less than said undercut portion sothat after fitting the attachment member into the cavity the attachmentmember is shiftable into engagement with the undercut portion therebypreventing a head-on releasing thereof from the cavity; said body beingfurther provided with a key operated locking device having a locking pinprojectable into the cavity to restrain the shifting of the attachmentmember from a first shifted position thereof; and means for affixing theattachment member to a side wall of the portable object.
 2. Thearrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the key-operated device is ofthe push-in type.
 3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein theribbed member forms the outer part of a rotatable hook-type computerdoor locking device.
 4. The arrangement as claimed in claim 3 whereinthe hook-type locking device is operable by a push-in locking device. 5.The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cable-shoe body isformed with a slot traversing said cavity for enabling a cable ofadditional equipment to pass therethrough and become secured to theportable object upon locking the cable-shoe thereagainst.